Jackal Among Snakes

A man pulled free a wooden hatch, tossing it to the side. He offered his hand to help up someone down below, but a big, gauntleted hand grabbed onto the wood. Galamon pulled himself up, then reached down and grabbed Argrave, hauling him second. Thirdly, Durran offered up Elenore, and he lifted her gently and set her aside. She winced when her prosthetic feet met the ground, and blood dripped down them slowly.

“Gods. Never seen the princess bloodied,” noted a woman standing by the door. She wore a wide-brimmed and plumed tellerbarret that partially hid long red hair, and cast a nice shadow over her pretty, scarred face. She bore lightweight chainmail, though much of it was concealed by ostentatious, puffy clothing. Argrave’s gaze lingered on her, vision dancing from his haze of blood loss.

“This is Melanie,” Elenore said, leaning against a wall. “She’s a native of Relize. She’ll be leading our caravan there, establishing contact with trustworthy people.”

“I know,” Argrave straightened, feeling like every part of him was sore. Melanie was yet another protagonist from ‘Heroes of Berendar,’ and he wasn’t eager to deal with this. “Clothes give it away.”

Galamon helped Durran and Anneliese up next, then knelt, peering down below. The elven vampire’s armor was bloodied and scratched, but any wounds he might’ve taken in his task of lighting the fires and fending back the royal knights had healed. The man who’d taken off the hatch put it back on, then wiped his hands away.

Argrave looked to be sure that Anneliese was watching, then questioned Melanie, “You’re working solely for Elenore?”

Melanie frowned, yet the scars near her eyes made her seem oddly amused nonetheless. “Don’t answer to you.”

“You do. Answer him,” Elenore said harshly, kicking off where she leaned against.

“No one else funding me, sweetie. The trust you’re showing is utterly flooring,” Melanie said in irritation.

Anneliese gave no indication the woman was lying. Argrave nodded and said, “Let’s be off.”

“Ought to have someone look at that bleeding,” Durran stopped Elenore.

The princess looked ready to refuse, but eventually she nodded. “Once we’re settled in the caravan.”

#####

The caravan they entered was quite a nice one. It was entirely enchanted wood, made for transporting large quantities of grain. The caravan they travelled with had many other carts, each and all identical to the one they resided. It would be a good veil for concealing their movements. Relize constantly had food transported to it—its population was too large to be sustained by local agriculture alone. They would raise no flags travelling this way. Melanie handled all operations outside.

Elenore and Anneliese, sandwiched between the two of them on a cushioned bench. He leaned with his back to the wall, utterly exhausted. He

Elenore’s leg slowly loosened. It reminded Argrave of a manual vice. Her leg had been cut by her prosthetics

doesn’t need to be so tight,” Durran

it can shift—unimaginably painful if my leg shifts off balance, and I crash to the floor,” she said through clenched teeth. As Durran wordlessly tended to her

He was unimaginably thankful things had gone as well as they did, considering the circumstances. He had been very worried

for me to get them, I’m afraid. I don’t think they’ll be lost. My men—they’re smart, they know how to hide things. They’ve been hiding

her shoulder and offering a smile. With that,

reigned for a

in. “I suspect he was the large cause

at this. These clamps leave bruises, cut open your skin. And this material

Durran’s lecturing, growing quiet for

profit based on what just occurred. I can turn ten rose gold coins into one hundred based on what happened in Dirracha. It is a disaster, but

head up. “Just say it

up, and she leaned forward onto Argrave. He was puzzled for a few seconds, but her back started to heave. He

“Why did she do that? Why didn’t she just give me up? I… all I’ve brought her is pain, yet she wouldn’t just sell me out. And now they’re with him, they’re both with HIM. I can’t. I can’t just… Why do I get to go, when they… they’re both better than me, both suffered more than I have…

and wait, letting her speak. He listened intently, offering whispered words of comfort where he thought they fit. She deserved this much, he thought. After a time, Elenore went quiet. Argrave briefly questioned if she was asleep, but her breathing was too erratic

finally said, voice fried. “A few days… do what I can, try to help them. Try to make sure I can save Therese, protect Vasquer… but

Argrave told her. “So we stop for a few days to get apprised

is a surefire way to be found,” Elenore disagreed

himself to turn his body. “Doing the right thing, doing the most pragmatic thing—more often than not, they’re not mutually exclusive. This person… Therese, the one that got captured. You care

an end, or maybe disposed of quietly by Levin.” Elenore

she looked over. “So you learn that. You do what you can—all that you can. It might be that

would you know…” Elenore leaned her

Argrave leaned in. “I know a lot more about

long while, and Argrave started to settle back

I can’t do that. It’s not right. It doesn’t have its place. I’m meant to be a boon in your fight, not a

fact of life. Durran cries himself to sleep every night, muttering about Orion,” Argrave kicked the tribal lightly across from him. The tribal looked at him with a resigned, bitter